First time posting a Percy Jackson fic! Hope you like it. Please review!
His lips trembled as he mumbled the name of the one he loved most.
"Annabeth."
He watched her fall, fall, falling through a channel of darkness.
"ANNABETH."
The depths of Tartarus stretched out beneath her.
"Percy, help me!" Annabeth pleaded, her voice echoing through the darkness. "Why didn't you save me?" She cried.
"Annabeth, I'm sorry!"
"Percy!"
"Annabeth!"
He watched her sink. Sink deep into the River Cocytus.
"Despair. Fear. Grief," Annabeth muttered.
"No!" Percy shouted. "No, Annabeth! I'm here!"
"Life. Pointless."
"Annabeth!"
"You abandoned me, Percy!"
"No! No, I didn't!"
"Then, save me!" Annabeth's voice faded as the River Cocytus joined with the fiery waters of the Plegethon. She tumbled off in a waterfall - falling, falling...
"No!" Percy jolted up in bed, a mess of tangled sheets surrounding him like a fishing net. "ANNABETH!"
He screamed, stumbling out of bed, sobbing, still half-asleep and unaware of his location. Unaware that he was on the Argo 2, and that he and Annabeth were safe. Percy fell on the ground trying to get up. And he stayed there - emotionally broken.
"ANNABETH! AN-NA-BETH!" His cracking voice alternated between shouts and sobs.
Pounding footsteps came towards Percy's bedroom door. The door swung open. Yellow light flooded in from the hallway, acting as a spotlight directed on the screaming figure lying in the middle of his room. Six pairs of eyes were staring at the broken son of Poseidon.
Annabeth was instantly at Percy's side.
"Percy! Percy, I'm here! It's okay!"
She knelt down by Percy's side, and touched his shoulder. He barely moved. His sobs and screams didn't subside. Annabeth laid down on the floor next to Percy and looked at his face.
The tears...oh, the heartbroken tears that streamed down his face as he sobbed and screamed. His eyes were shut tight, his hands partially over his face. Annabeth's own eyes flooded with tears, but she couldn't focus on that. She glanced back at the doorway where Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, and Hazel all stood, completely unsure what to do. Annabeth quickly waved them away, and they left silently. She turned to Percy.
"Percy, baby. Look at me. Look at me, Percy. I'm right here! I'm here, baby. Look."
She grabbed a hand from his face and put it to her own. Percy looked up, still shaking and sobbing. His sea-green eyes were like broken glass. Annabeth could see her reflection in them.
"See, Percy? It's okay. I'm safe." She knew it didn't matter to Percy whether he was safe. He had told her that all his nightmares had been about losing her - because that was the only thing Percy Jackson was truly afraid of. Losing her.
"Safe?" Percy's voice trembled, as he sat up. He stroked Annabeth's cheek with his thumb, as if trying to decide if she was real.
"Yeah, Seaweed Brain. I'm not going anywhere, remember? Never separated again," she said, gently.
"Oh gosh, Annabeth." Percy pulled her close into an embrace. She leaned against his chest, and played with his ruffled, dark hair, waiting for Percy to continue. She knew he had more to say. "I thought...you were..."
"I know, Percy. But, we're out of that place now. We're with our friends, and..." She lost her train of thought. "It's okay. We're together." She smiled slightly remembering that's what Percy had said when he found her after the Mark of Athena mission had gone horribly wrong. He had said that right before they had fallen...
Back to this task, Annabeth chided herself.
"You wanna go to the kitchen, Percy? Piper made us some cookies yesterday."
She tried to sound perky, though that normally wasn't her specialty. It was Percy who was usually comforting her, trying to be cheerful even in the darkest situations. Though Annabeth hated more than anything to see Percy completely break down, she was glad she was able to comfort him for once.
"Sounds good to me." Percy smiled, weakly. He stood up and pulled Annabeth up with him. "I couldn't go back to sleep, anyway."
"I know," Annabeth said. "Come on." She took his hand gently, gave him a reassuring squeeze, and they left the room together.
Percy and Annabeth didn't expect to find the rest of the seven lounging around in the living area when they came out.
Jason and Piper were on the couch together-Jason with an arm around Piper's shoulder who looked pale and had tears forming in her eyes.
Hazel and Frank were on the opposite couch, which was smaller, but Hazel and Frank were just holding each other's hands. Hazel had soft tears flowing down her cheeks.
And last was Leo who sat alone in the recliner next to the wall, silent for once, and stiller than usual. He seemed to be deep in thought, only partially listening to Frank, Jason, and Piper's conversation. Hazel was too shocked to say anything.
"I didn't know it was so bad," Piper said, voice timid and trembling. "I've comforted Annabeth after a nightmare, but I've never seen Percy so...so..."
"Broken?" Leo suggested. Piper nodded slowly. Jason was about to say something, but stopped as Annabeth and Percy came in, their footsteps echoing slightly through the hall.
Percy's cheeks were flushed, and streaked with tears, which he hurriedly tried to wipe away. Annabeth looked pale, but she gave a watery smile as they walked in.
"Hey, guys," she said. "You didn't have to stay up."
"No, it's okay," Jason answered. "We just felt like um...talking." He smiled quickly, and Piper squeezed his hand.
"Anyone else want cookies?" Percy's light-hearted question surprised everyone. "Annabeth tells me Piper's are pretty good." He managed a weak smile.
Jason snapped out of his shock first. It was just so unnerving to first see the greatest hero of all time-on the ground screaming his heart out, then come out putting on a pretty, darn good brave front.
"Um, yeah!" Jason said. "You can't beat Piper's chocolate chip cookies. I didn't even knew she cooked until I ate them." He gave his girlfriend a teasing glance. Piper nudged him, getting into the conversation.
"Jason!" Her tone was somewhat exasperated, but she wasn't really mad.
"Hey, I mean I've never seen you cook before," Jason defended himself.
"I've never needed to cook!"
"Okay, you two," Annabeth cut in. She shot the couple a thankful look, knowing they were trying to lighten the mood. "Percy and I are gonna go up on deck for a while-maybe stargaze. We're taking a plate of those cookies though, Piper."
Annabeth winked, and took Percy's arm, dragging him across the tiny living room to the kitchen area. She unwrapped a plate of cookies and handed it over to Percy, who took it gratefully.
His hands had been fidgeting helplessly at his sides, so he was glad to have something to focus on-even if it was holding a plate of cookies. Anything to get his mind of the nightmares-the memories.
"Ready, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked, causing Percy to swing his head to look at her.
She was holding two full glasses of milk. A quizzical look was formed on her face, making her gray eyes glint beautifully.
"Yeah," Percy said. They were turning towards the stairs, ready to walk up to the deck, when Hazel stood up with a blanket in her arms. She walked over to Percy and gingerly handed it to him.
"Here. You might need it. It's a little cold, tonight," she said quietly. She didn't know whether to smile or not, so she waited for him to respond.
"Thanks, Hazel." Percy gave her a smile, which she returned sweetly.
"You're welcome. Good night, Percy." She gave him a peck on the cheek, quite aware that everyone else was watching. It was only a sisterly kiss though-like the one she had given him on the plane so long ago. Percy was like a big brother to her.
Hazel walked back and plopped down on the couch next to Frank, and he wrapped his arm around her. Percy and Annabeth turned towards the steps, again.
"Sure you guys don't want any company?" Leo spoke up, a playful smirk dancing behind his voice.
Annabeth was about to turn and reply with a jab of her own, but Jason said,
"I think they want to be alone, Leo."
Annabeth smiled to herself, and followed Percy to the deck.
"Have you gotten any sleep the past few nights?" Annabeth asked Percy, watching his face.
She found her answer just by looking at him. His sea-green eyes were tired and dull, dark circles forming around them. He leaned against the rail, closed his eyes, and sighed.
"None," he said. "Unless you count falling asleep, only to wake up screaming your head off ten minutes later."
"No, I definitely do not count that," Annabeth said, moving to sit beside him. She rested her head against his shoulder, and slipped her arm behind him. "You should sleep."
Silence for a while, then, "I know."
Annabeth waited.
"But, I can't," Percy said. "I can't keep watching you...watching you die."
Annabeth's heart melted and broke at the same time. It was the sweetest, most amazing feeling in the world to know that Percy cared for her so much. He was willing to die for her. But her heart broke, because she knew what it was like to watch the one you love most die over and over and over-in her dreams, that is, but it felt real at the time.
She knew what it was like to feel broken inside, completely and fully broken, but not able to show it because that would make you seem weak, vulnerable. There was no room for weakness on this ship. Or this war.
"Try to sleep now," Annabeth said. "You think you could?"
"As long as we're together."
Annabeth's heart jolted at his words. She quickly recovered, but then said something she had only said when they were plummeting towards Tartarus and potential death.
"I love you." She knew she didn't need to say it, because they both knew the love between them without speaking. But speaking the words made her feel a blissful tingly sensation in her heart.
Percy's eyes popped open. He gazed at her with those deep sea-green eyes. They seemed alive now, full of spirit and laughter-the way they would've looked pre-Tartarus.
"I love you too," he said.
Had to end it right:)